Pleasant Street signal plan rankles neighbors

Sunday

Oct 20, 2013 at 6:00 AM

Of all things, a couple of traffic signals along Pleasant Street in the Tatnuck area of Worcester have stirred up a hornet's nest that could end up becoming a political hot potato of sorts in the final weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 municipal election.

A church parish is up in arms over the matter, as are some homeowners and businesses that stand to lose on-street parking they have long had in front of their properties on Pleasant Street. Worse yet, they are crying foul that the changes were planned and are being implemented without any neighborhood input.

Because there are those who want to see their elected officials address this matter before the election, a neighborhood meeting has been scheduled for Oct. 30 to discuss the issue, and those affected want their city councilors and appropriate city and state officials at that meeting.

Yes, things could get rather interesting.

For the past couple of years, the city has been working with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on developing a plan to improve traffic flow in Worcester by addressing some of the bottlenecks that often develop on local east-west arteries, and making them safer for drivers.

State officials are also looking at traffic improvements and traffic-pattern changes in the immediate Tatnuck Square area to improve the flow of traffic through there, but that is a whole other matter.

Pleasant Street is one of the east-west arteries under review by the state. In particular, the focus has been on addressing the intersection at Moreland Street, which is known for bottlenecks during peak traffic hours. The bottlenecks there are caused in large part by motorists trying to make left turns either from or onto Pleasant Street.

Also, between Newton Square and Tatnuck Square, the only traffic signals on Pleasant Street are at Richmond Avenue and St. Elmo Road, and at Wrentham Road and Marwood Road, near Christ the King Church.

Back in 2010, then District 1 Councilor Joffrey A. Smith, who chaired the City Council Traffic and Parking Committee, petitioned for the installation of a traffic signal at Pleasant and Moreland streets in an attempt to alleviate the regular traffic bottlenecks there. That petition was approved by the council, but to make the traffic signal effective, a separate left-hand turn lane had to be created on Pleasant Street. The separate turning lane would enable traffic to move more freely at that point because most of Pleasant Street between Newton Square and Tatnuck Square can only accommodate one lane of traffic in either direction.

The traffic signals were put up a couple of months ago, though they have yet to be turned on. State officials originally talked about widening Pleasant Street at Moreland Street to accommodate the additional traffic lane, but when that apparently proved not to be feasible, a left-turn lane was created within the existing street layout through new street/pavement markings. What will result from that, however, is that once the traffic signals are put into operation, the on-street parking that has always existed in that area, along the south side of Pleasant Street, will be lost.

Among those affected are a dental office at 1010 Pleasant St., and four other homes. In addition, once the traffic signal at Pleasant and Moreland is turned on, the one at Marwood and Wrentham roads will be turned off. And that has the folks at Christ the King Church up in arms. So much so that Monsignor Thomas J. Sullivan, pastor at Christ the King, wrote a letter to members of the City Council and city officials objecting to the removal of that traffic signal. He said its removal will create a serious safety hazard.

The monsignor also called for a neighborhood meeting with city officials to discuss the matter. He said the planned changes to Pleasant Street are being put into place without any public hearing on the matter.

"This is not just a concern of Christ the King Parish or its parishioners, even though one corner of our property lies at the intersection," Monsignor Sullivan wrote. "There are hundreds of families living in the streets behind Christ the King, as well as on the other side of Pleasant Street. All of these will be affected."

The monsignor said the real danger from the elimination of that traffic signal will come when vehicles try to make a left turn from Marwood Road onto Pleasant Street. He said Marwood Road is a completely blind corner, made worse by a tall banking of shrubs on private property.

"No driver can possibly see what is coming along the westbound side of Pleasant Street," he said. "I anticipate many accidents at this corner."

When church officials have approached local officials about the matter, they have been told there is little they can do because it is a state project. But that isn't sitting well with them.

Robert J. Hennigan Jr., a local lawyer and former city councilor, was asked by Christ the King parish to coordinate a neighborhood meeting on the new traffic plans.

Last week he sent an email to City Council members asking them to attend a neighborhood meeting at Christ the King Church hall at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 to discuss the matter. In addition to the concerns about the proposed changes, he said, there is also a growing frustration that changes of such significance in Tatnuck Square and along Pleasant Street are being planned without neighborhood input.

"It seems that at minimum, the affected residents deserve an opportunity to be heard," Mr. Hennigan wrote to the councilors. "Your attendance is respectfully requested. Further, your assistance in assuring that an appropriate city/state official is present to explain the plans would be greatly appreciated."

Meanwhile, Monsignor Sullivan has also "strongly encouraged" parishioners and neighbors to send emails and write letters to city councilors about the matter.

Yes, it appears they mean business, and, yes, things could get interesting.